BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Don Schumacher knows he can't please all the people all the time. He just hopes they don't hang up.

Schumacher, head of Schumacher & Associates, is in charge of the Bengals' seat licensing program that has sold about 36,000 charter ownership agreements (COAs) for Paul Brown Stadium.

For the past 10 days, fans have been finding out if they got their choice of zone assignments and then Schumacher has been finding out if they have any choice words.

Schumacher said Wednesday it's gone pretty smoothly for the First Fans program, except for a group of about 500 Bengals season ticket holders out of an estimated 12,000 accounts that he placed in the "unsatisfied" category.

They put down only one or two preferences instead of the suggested four and were notified that First Fans wasn't able to meet their needs and to call the 241-2221 hot line.

"We're giving them the options of the best available seats, or go on a waiting list, or get a refund but give up their priority number," Schumacher said.

"We have told people to call us right away, but right now we've only got our best operators on the job and people (Wednesday) were on hold for as long as 30 minutes. We just want them to know they don't have to wait on the line. They can keep calling us back over the next few days because they keep their priority with their account number."

Schumacher said his operators are reporting 85 percent satisfaction when people are given options and he's not aware of a large number of refunds.

The account numbers have stirred questions from some fans who have prime seats now in Cinergy Field, but didn't get their first choice at PB. The key is that First Fans goes by the latest account number.

"The reason in almost every case is they started out using tickets from someone else and at some point changed it into their name," Schumacher said. "At that point, they were given a new account number by the Bengals and that number is going to be higher than the original number."

Schumacher said seats won't be assigned until about a year before the Aug. 1, 2000 opener.

First Fans plan to send a questionnaire with the second COA invoice in early 1998. Fans will be asked if they prefer the home or visiting side, sun or shade, high or low in the row, middle or end of the row. Those assignments are also based on account numbers.

Previous stories

Next hurdle: Stadium land May 31, 1997
Bengals won't sell naming rights May 31, 1997
WELCOME TO PAUL BROWN STADIUM May 30, 1997
NEXT GENERATION OF BROWNS MAKE THE DEAL May 30, 1997
It's goal to go for stadium May 29, 1997
Details remain before construction begins May 29, 1997
Stadium victory at hand May 26, 1997
Terms of the deal May 26, 1997
Regional effort fills seats May 25, 1997
Bengals reach sales goal May 24, 1997
Hold on: Shirey wants to boost admissions tax May 24, 1997
Brown, county race deadline May 21, 1997
NFL committee OK's lease May 20, 1997
Ticket tax increase gains steam May 20, 1997
Stadium team tries to trim $48M May 6, 1997
Bengals ask lease by May 20 April 30, 1997
Stadium redesign well received April 25, 1997
Bengals leery of Wedge April 9, 1997
Stadium price tag growing April 3,1997
Stadium gaining ground? April 2,1997
Bengals won't sign till tax dies March 25,1997
Mike Brown's 'Letter to the Editor' March 25, 1997
Bengals balk at tax plan March 24,1997
Bengals want county blitz on seat licenses March 21,1997
City balks at size of stadium March 15,1997
Seat sales on target for team to stay Feb. 19,1997
'The Jungle' moving to Central Ave. Feb. 14, 1997
Stadium site to be announced this week Published Feb. 9, 1997
Seat license sales pass $20M goal Published Feb. 7, 1997
Consultants favor Riverfront West Published Dec. 20, 1996
Seat licenses $300 to $1,500 Published Dec. 18, 1996
Rules, procedure for buying seat licenses Published Dec. 18, 1996
Designs draw oohs and ahhs Published Dec. 17, 1996
Architect's drawings revealed Published Dec. 8, 1996
Site selection is a decision of a lifetime Published Dec. 2, 1996